Meet Our Board of Directors
Nicole Jorwic, Chair/President
Cheif of Advocacy and Campaigns, Caring Across Generations
Nicole Jorwic is the Chief of Advocacy and Campaigns at Caring Across Generations. Prior to joining the Caring Across Generations teams Nicole served as the Senior Director of Rights Policy at The Arc, a national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Prior to joining The Arc policy team Nicole served as Senior Policy Advisor for the state of Illinois and served as the President/CEO of the Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities where she continued the Institute’s mission to improve the lives of people with disabilities and assisted the leadership of the state of Illinois in developing public policy-driven best practices in serving individuals with disabilities. Nicole is an accomplished special education attorney and an advocate for students with disabilities, with a focus on transition-aged youth. Nicole received her JD and Child and Family Law Certificate, from Loyola University Chicago. She received her BS from the University of Illinois. Nicole is also a sibling, her brother, Chris is 32 and has autism.
Curtis Schehr, Esq., Treasurer
Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, DCS Corporation
Curtis Schehr serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of DCS Corporation, a government contractor providing advanced technology solutions to government agencies in the national security sector. Mr. Schehr advises management and the board of directors on matters including corporate governance, government contracts, litigation, bid protests, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, and export control. He also serves as the company’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer and has overall responsibility for Corporate Security. Mr. Schehr is also a member of the DCS Board of Directors. Mr. Schehr is Past President of the National Capital Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Music for Life, an after-school music program for low income and at-risk youth who otherwise do not have or cannot afford the opportunity to participate.
Jahera Otieno, Secretary
Principal, PAYO Collaborative
Jahera Otieno is a mission-driven professional with experience working in the public sector, international development, and community health to drive strategic growth and implement effective organizational and program management. Ms. Otieno is entrepreneurial-minded and a strategic and innovative thinker and leader. She is experienced in client and stakeholder management, including working with corporate partners, philanthropic donors, and government with experience in program operations, grant management, and communications and resource development.
Chadwick B. Charles
President & CEO, Chad O’L Public Relations & Events LLC, O’L Lifestyles Brands
Throughout his lengthy career, Chadwick has worked in both government and commercial industries and has 30 years of experience with managing clients and project coordination. As a Travel Manager for the Department of Health and Human Services, he was responsible for financial coordination, event planning, fundraising, travel planning, budget planning, and oversight of policies/processes. Currently, Chadwick is the sole founder of Chad O’L Public Relations & Events, LLC, he oversees comprehensive brand and digital marketing strategies that are creative, practical, innovative, and most of all results-driven. Chad O’L leverages a variety of offerings to provide full-service and innovative solutions to create events, programs, and campaigns to help clients stand out in a crowded marketplace. Chadwick is an Alumni of Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, and The George Washington University.
Carey DeMatteis
Vice President of Population Health Analytics, Privia Health
Over his 20+ year career, Carey has focused on leveraging data and insights to advance the performance of provider-owned entities, particularly with early stage, high-growth ventures in value-based care.
Carey DeMatteis joined Privia Health in 2015 as Vice President and is responsible for value-based clinical and financial analytics. In 2019 Carey’s role was expanded to include practice operations analytics and in 2021 Privia held its IPO (NASDAQ: PRVA).
He also supported Evolent Health’s (NYSE: EVH) growth from startup to its $1 billion valuation at IPO. While there, he and his team drove financially aligned partnerships with health systems committed to aligning care delivery and payment.
Carey holds a Bachelor’s in Biology from Cornell University and a Master’s in Healthcare Financial Management from NYU where he was awarded the Wagner Public Service Scholarship.
David Goldfarb
Director of Financial Security Policy, The Arc of the United States
David Goldfarb is The Arc of the United States Director of Financial Security Policy. Previously, he spent nearly 8 years at the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), where he oversaw NAELA’s advocacy initiatives. His successful advocacy campaigns include passing the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act and extending Medicaid’s spousal impoverishment protections to home and community-based service (HCBS) waivers through September 2023.
He currently co-chairs the Disability and Aging Collaborative and the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) Social Security and Financial Security Task Forces.
David began his public policy career as the Economic Policy Fellow for Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. He holds a J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Colorado. He was inducted into the National Academy of Social Insurance in 2017.
Quintina Hampton
Advocate
Quintina Hampton is a highly organized, program management professional with more than twenty-five years of experience in the District of Columbia government. Ms. Hampton has strong problem solving and decision-making skills with the ability to bring pragmatic insights and solutions to meet the mission and goals of an organization. She is experienced in planning, organizing, and implementing new programs as well as in strategic planning and program analysis. Ms. Hampton is a strong, parent advocate and mentor for people with disabilities. She continually advocates to ensure quality programs and services are available and accessible to all families in the District of Columbia. She is a member of the DC Autism Society. She currently works at Shared Horizons and lives in the Petworth neighborhood with her husband and two children.
Katherine Boe Heuck
Commercial Operations Manager, Altana AI
Katherine Boe Heuck grew up in Washington DC and is an entrepreneur with experience owning and running businesses in Asia and the US. She is an owner of Manhattan Mandarin, a Chinese education company operating in several cities on the East Coast, as well as Atlas Sourcing Group, a flooring products wholesaler and distributor. While living in China, Ms. Boe Heuck previously consulted for multinational companies, focusing on healthcare, sustainability, and product and brand innovation. Kate has broad experience working with international stakeholders on innovative projects and brings her multi-cultural work experience and her passion for entrepreneurship to the Quality Trust Board. She holds a BA degree from Washington and Lee University in Virginia and will receive her MBA from MIT Sloan School and Management in 2022.
Ben King
Manager, Accenture Federal Services
Mr. King brings 15 years of program and operations management to the Quality Trust board. He is experienced in working with commercial, non-profit, Federal and Defense clients to develop innovative performance improvement solutions. He is responsible for overseeing 40 staff and managing annual program budgets of more than $10 million. Mr. King received a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from Westminster College, Missouri and an MBA from Hult International Business School, London, UK. He resides in Old Town Alexandria, VA.
Ryan King
Self-Advocate, Project ACTION!
Ryan King is a determined, strong self-advocate and is active with Project ACTION!, the District’s self-advocacy coalition. He presents locally and nationally at advocacy conferences. He co-presents with self-advocates and attorneys on a variety of advocacy topics but he is most passionate about supported decision-making (SDM) and people getting to make their own choices and decisions. He wants to make sure others know this can become a reality for them also. Mr. King has been featured in The Washington Post and other national publications on his personal story of having the DC Court over-turn his guardianship in favor of SDM. He has been a Board member with Lifeline Partnership for four years. They support and nurture people with developmental disabilities to grow socially and spiritually. Mr. King has been employed by Safeway Corporation for 21 years. He is a resident of Ward 4 and enjoys cooking, attending sporting events, listening to music and advocating for others.
Lisa Matthews
Chief Grants Officer, NCoC
Lisa Matthews has more than 15 years of experience navigating the disability system to better understand her role as a sibling to support her brother and other individuals with disabilities and their families. Lisa Matthews currently serves as the DC Chapter Representative on the Sibling Leadership Network (SLN) Board of Directors. She is the former Chair of the DC Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC Council) and its State Plan Implementation Committee. Her goal is to educate, elevate and empower others to identify and solve problems that will bring perspective and positive change in their lives. Lisa’s personal passion is aligned with her professional experience to bring about change across communities. She is currently a Chief Grants Officer with a non-profit organization where she is a strategic, collaborative, and self-motivated leader who supports advancing full participation and civic engagement across the nation.
Yolandra A. Plummer, PhD
Associate Professor at the University of the District of Columbia in the School of Business and Public Administration
In addition to teaching at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), Dr. Plummer currently serves as the Principal Investigator of a $2.9 million grant between the District of Columbia Department of Human Services (DHS), Economic Security Administration (ESA), and University of the District of Columbia. Under this grant, Dr. Plummer oversees a job skills training program for over 700 adults on TANF and low-income families in the District of Columbia. Previously, Dr. Plummer managed the District of Columbia’s first non-emergency management transportation program. She also served as a former Chief of Staff at the Department on Disability Services. Dr. Plummer serves as a member of the District of Columbia’s Supported Independent Living Council (SILC).
Mariana Roig
Co-Founder and VP of Strategy for ROIG Communications
Mariana Roig is a visionary leader with over 15 years of experience in the field of communications. Mariana holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland and a master’s degree from The Georgetown University in Communications and Public Relations. Her work and expertise developing multilingual marketing and public relations initiatives, have ensured high-impact results in various fields. Mariana is known for her creative talent to plan, lead, and implement communications strategies of regional, national and global scope. She has positioned her company as a leading cross-cultural strategic communications agency based in DC, in only six years.
Walter Suskind
Director, Finsbury Glover Hering
Walter Suskind is a skilled public relations and communications professional. He has provided public affairs and communications strategy for corporations, academic institutions and government agencies. He designs and implements complex multi-platform public awareness campaigns. Mr. Suskind is the Founder of SibStrong, an organization designed to support siblings of people with Autism and other disabilities.
Donna Thornton
Self-Advocate, Project ACTION!
Ms. Thornton and her husband have received many awards and were recognized as “Washingtonians of the Year” in 1997. The Thornton’s were the subjects of a made-for-TV movie entitled, “Profoundly Normal,” and appeared on 60 Minutes, sharing their story as one of the first couples with developmental disabilities to be married. Ms. Thornton is a strong self-advocate and member of Project ACTION!, the District’s self-advocacy group. She advocates at DC City Council hearings, trains disability professionals, and mentors new self-advocates. Ms. Thornton retired from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after a 28-year, public servant career . Ms. Thornton believes that people with disabilities should be able to work if they want. Ms. Thornton is a former resident of Forest Haven, the District’s institution for people with developmental disabilities. She has been married for 34 years to Ricardo Thornton. They have a son, Ricky, Jr., and they are proud grandparents.
Keith Wright
Self-Advocate
Keith Wright is a strong self-advocate and is active in his community. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Mitchell College where he majored in Business Administration and minored in Graphic Design. Mr. Wright is industrious, determined and is eager to apply his graphic design skills with local nonprofits and businesses. Mr. Wright works part-time at Twisted Pretzel in the District. Mr. Wright is a member of Project ACTION! and is getting more involved in advocacy work and training. He presents at local and national advocacy conferences with Project ACTION! members.
